


aftermath

by lovelyawesome



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: And there's no way Lance was okay with him doing what he did, Angst, Boys Kissing, Canon Compliant, For the most part, Hurt/Comfort, I'm adopting every single character, M/M, Post Season 4, Season 4 Spoilers, Self-Indulgent, Some themes that edge on anxiety, There's no way Keith came out of that okay, They are now all my children, here i go again with my terrible tagging skills i'm so sorry in advance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-18
Updated: 2017-10-18
Packaged: 2019-01-18 23:42:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12398652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovelyawesome/pseuds/lovelyawesome
Summary: "Keith was alive. He had survived the battle, somehow, miraculously, wonderfully. And Lance? Lance had to see him, make sure that he was really okay, really alive and here and tangible and breathing."The aftermath of the battle and Keith's return.Otherwise known as, "I just want them to be happy - the fic"





	aftermath

Lance was running.

 

He was sliding around corners, feet pounding against the floors as he ran, breath coming in short gasps.

 

They’d gotten the alert only minutes earlier – a ship, docking with the castle, an achingly familiar voice crackling hesitantly over the comms.

 

And Lance was running.

 

Keith was _alive_. He had survived the battle, somehow, miraculously, wonderfully. And Lance? Lance had to see him, make sure that he was really okay, really alive and here and tangible and breathing.

 

So he slid around another corner. And another. His sneakers were loud against the floors, echoing in the abandoned hallways.

 

And then

 

There he was

 

Keith was walking, slowly, worried expression on his face, teeth nervously digging into his bottom lip and Lance stopped, dead in his tracks. They were both stopped now, staring at each other for a moment, just a moment, before Keith burst into a flurry of movement.

 

They collided, and it was a little painful, but so good, so solid and real, so really real and was Keith crying? Lance wound his arms around the smaller paladin, fingers digging into his shoulder blades. He could feel Keith shaking under his hands, could feel the wetness of his tears, warm as Keith clung to Lance, like Lance was his lifeline, the only thing keeping him together and grounded. Lance could hear the aborted sob as Keith tried not to cry, tried so hard, but then, just a moment, a simple heartbeat later, and it was like he couldn’t _stop_.

 

“I almost-“ his voice was shaky and broken, his words wavering. “You weren’t there and I almost- I was going to sacrifice myself to take down the barrier of that ship and maybe it wouldn’t have worked but I was so ready to _try_ and to prove myself-“

 

“Why would you do that?” Lance sounded pathetic and broken, but he didn’t stop, couldn’t. “Why- you’re so important, you don’t have to prove anything- Keith why-“

 

Lance was so close to crying now too, but he wouldn’t. He knew he wouldn’t. He untangled his arms from Keith’s grip, cupped his face and made him look up, thumbs swiping at the tears trailing down Keith’s cheeks and Keith looked just, he looked so vulnerable then, eyes wide and shining with unshed tears, but he was looking away, like he couldn’t quite bring himself to meet Lance’s gaze.

 

“I just- I wanted-“ But Lance knew. He knew that Keith was desperate to prove himself, to establish himself outside of Voltron and the paladins, because he was so scared, because he wanted to pull away, push away everyone before they could hurt him.

 

“Keith, please-“ Lance wasn’t sure what he was trying to say, hesitating for a moment to collect his thoughts, Keith’s face so, so warm in his hands. “Don’t do that again. I was _so worried_ , please don’t do that again.”

 

Keith looked like he was going to start sobbing again, chin quivering just a bit, just a small amount, and Lance’s thumbs rubbed circles across Keith’s cheeks, gentle and soft and comforting.

 

There was a moment, when their eyes finally met. A moment where they laid everything bare A silent conversation happening in the span of seconds.

 

Then they were kissing.

 

Softly, though, so soft and tentative, but solid and real. Lance dragged in a shaking break, kissing Keith over and over and then-

 

Maybe it was Keith, or maybe it was Lance, but someone opened their mouth, just a small amount, an invitation, and suddenly it was like they were drowning, desperate for each other in a way they hadn’t realized. The kiss wasn’t elegant, or neat; it was wet and sloppy, full of all the emotion they’d been so hesitant to show each other and it was

 

_Perfect_

 

It was _right_ , and they were pressed against each other so tightly, lips sliding against each other so hotly. Lance whimpered, just a little, in the back of his throat, and Keith was responding with a small, shaky moan, his hands dropping down to Lance’s waist, fingers digging into the soft flesh of his hips.

 

But then they heard the others approach, a litany of footsteps bouncing off the walls, excited chatter as they drew closer, and they pulled apart, faces burning red.

 

So they separated, and the sudden loss of contact, of warmth was so… Lance grasped Keith’s hand, loosely threading their fingers together as the others rounded the corner, and Keith?

 

Keith just smiled.

 

**Author's Note:**

> thanks to emy and callan for putting up with my dumb ass and not letting me talk myself out of posting this garbage
> 
> i'm so nervous about posting this i might throw up


End file.
